Middle East

Amal Boycotts Hezbollah-Backed Protests Amid Rising Tensions in Lebanon
Amal Boycotts Hezbollah-Backed Protests Amid Rising Tensions in Lebanon

Following a wave of protests by supporters of Hezbollah throughout the week, culminating on Saturday, the Amal Movement announced it would not participate in the demonstrations and urged its supporters to boycott them. In a statement, Amal warned that insults directed at state leadership risk fueling internal unrest, stressing that political ...

Hezbollah-Linked Cell Foiled in Damascus Plot Targeting Religious Figure
Hezbollah-Linked Cell Foiled in Damascus Plot Targeting Religious Figure

Syrian authorities said Saturday they foiled a planned attack in Damascus, arresting a five-member cell allegedly linked to Hezbollah that was preparing to target a religious figure near a church in the capital. In a statement, the Syrian Interior Ministry said its Counter-Terrorism Department, in coordination with security forces in the ...

Vance Arrives in Pakistan for Iran Talks
Vance Arrives in Pakistan for Iran Talks

US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Islamabad on Saturday for talks with Iran that the Pakistani premier hosting the warring sides called a "make or break" effort to permanently halt weeks of fighting in the Middle East. An Iranian delegation led by parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf is also in the city, having arrived ...

Iran Delegation Arrives in Pakistan Capital Ahead of U.S. Talks
Iran Delegation Arrives in Pakistan Capital Ahead of U.S. Talks

A delegation of top Iranian officials has arrived in Islamabad ahead of ceasefire talks with the United States in the Pakistani capital, Iranian state television reported Friday. The delegation was led by Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, along with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and other security and economic officials, ...

Lebanon Says Israel Talks Set for Tuesday in U.S.
Lebanon Says Israel Talks Set for Tuesday in U.S.

Lebanon's presidency said Friday that a meeting would be held with Israel in Washington next week to discuss a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war and the start of negotiations between the neighbours. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has repeatedly expressed readiness for direct talks with Israel since Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle ...

Hezbollah’s War Role Challenged as Ministers Cite Legal, Constitutional Violations
Hezbollah’s War Role Challenged as Ministers Cite Legal, Constitutional Violations

Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, along with Ministers Joseph Saddy, Joe Issa El Khoury, and Kamal Shehadeh submitted a legal memorandum to the Council of Ministers of Lebanon, signed on Wednesday ahead of the Cabinet meeting, calling for immediate action to restore state authority and hold accountable those responsible for involving the ...

Operation Roaring Lion: Iran's Missile Program Takes a Hit
Operation Roaring Lion: Iran's Missile Program Takes a Hit

According to the Israel Defense Forces, the Israeli Air Force carried out more than 8,500 sorties over Iran as part of a sustained aerial campaign during Operation Roaring Lion. In total, the Air Force deployed over 18,000 munitions, conducting approximately 10, 800 individual strikes. These attacks targeted a broad network of Iranian military ...

Lebanese Cabinet Issues Orders to Remove Non-State Weapons From Beirut
Lebanese Cabinet Issues Orders to Remove Non-State Weapons From Beirut

The Lebanese government decided on Thursday to ban weapons held by non-state groups in Beirut, a day after deadly Israeli strikes on the capital. “Out of concern for citizens’ safety,” the government “requests that the army and security forces immediately extend state control over the Beirut area and restrict the carrying of weapons there ...

Trump Threatens to Restart War if Iran Fails to Honor Ceasefire Terms
Trump Threatens to Restart War if Iran Fails to Honor Ceasefire Terms

Donald Trump warned that the United States is prepared to resume full-scale military operations against Iran if Tehran fails to comply with what he described as a “real agreement,” casting new doubt on the durability of the recently announced ceasefire. In a late-night statement, Trump said all U.S. military assets, including ships, aircraft, ...

World Bank Calls for Stronger Economies as US-Iran Ceasefire Fragile, Oil Rises
World Bank Calls for Stronger Economies as US-Iran Ceasefire Fragile, Oil Rises

The World Bank on Thursday called on countries in the Middle East and North Africa to strengthen economic resilience and governance in the wake of ongoing regional crises. “The current crisis is a stark reminder of the work ahead for the region: not only to weather shocks but also to rebuild more resilient economies with stronger macroeconomic ...